The IAC Mamba is an Australian two-seat light aircraft. It was designed and built by the Melbourne Aircraft Corporation (MAC) and first flew in 1989 as the MAC Mamba.[2] In 1990, MAC changed its name to the International Aircraft Corporation (IAC).[3]
| Mamba | |
|---|---|
| Role | Two-seat light cabin monoplane |
| National origin | Australia |
| Manufacturer | Melbourne Aircraft Corporation Australian Aircraft Industries |
| Designer | Jess Smith[1] |
| First flight | 25 January 1989 |
| Status | development continuing |
The Mamba was intended for general aviation purposes, including leisure, training, and agricultural use.[1] Development was supported by the Australian government's Grants for Industrial Research and Development (GIRD) scheme.[1]
Design and development
editThe Mamba is a strut-braced, high-wing monoplane designed over two years and first flown on 25 January 1989. It has fixed tricycle landing gear and is powered by a 116 hp (87 kW) Lycoming O-235 flat-four piston engine. It has an enclosed glazed cabin with side-by-side configuration seating for two. The fuselage is constructed of welded steel tubing with stressed aluminium skin.[1] The Mamba was designed to be rugged and easily maintained, even in remote areas where use of more advanced materials might prove a liability.[4]
MAC sought certification of the design under Australian standard ANO 101.22 and US FAR 23, and hoped to start manufacturing a two-seat version based on the prototype in 1989.[4] A four-seat version was expected to enter production the following year,[4] with a military version after that.[2] Differences from the civil version were to include armour for the cabin and provision for underwing stores, including two 20-mm cannon.[4] Intended applications included border patrol and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations.[4]
Initial production was to be in Australia,[4] at Echuca or Essendon,[3] with MAC considering offshore production for the future.[4] However, by 1992, production was still not underway, and Aviation Industries of Australia (AIA) was formed in Shepparton, to manufacture the design.[5] A mockup of the four-seat version was built the same year.[3]
A prototype of the military version was built under contract by Australian Aircraft Industries as the AA-2S Mamba powered by an IO-360.[citation needed] It was displayed as a static display at the 1999 Australian International Air Show at Avalon, Victoria.[3]
As of 2022, Mamba Aircraft Company aimed to restart development, possibly in collaboration with Chinese aviation manufacturers.[6]
Variants
edit- MA-2
- also known as MA-2A and AA-2, Lycoming O-235-powered prototype built by Melbourne Aircraft Corporation, registration VH-JSA[3]
- MA-2C
- Proposed civil production version[3]
- MA-2M
- also known as AA-2M Lycoming IO-360-powered military variant built by Australian Aircraft Industries, registration VH-FCX[3]
- AA-2S
- Lycoming IO-360-powered civilian under test by Mamba Aircraft Company
- AA-4S
- Lycoming O-320 four-place under development by Mamba Aircraft Company
Specifications (Prototype)
editData from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1989-90[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: one passenger
- Length: 7.00 m (22 ft 11.5 in)
- Wingspan: 8.68 m (28 ft 5.75 in)
- Height: 2.38 m (7 ft 9.75 in)
- Wing area: 10.13 m2 (109.04 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 390 kg (860 lb)
- Gross weight: 680 kg (1,499 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-235-N2C flat-four piston engine , 86 kW (116 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 250 km/h (155 mph, 135 kn)
- Endurance: 5 hours 42 minutes
- Rate of climb: 7.6 m/s (1,500 ft/min)
See also
editAircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
editNotes
editBibliography
edit- Eyre, David C. (8 May 2019). "IAC MA-2 Mamba". Aeropedia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- Gunston, Bill (1993). World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers. Anapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
- "Mamba Aircraft Company". 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
- "New Australian Light Aircraft". Air Progress. Vol. 51, no. 8. Canoga Park, California: Challenge Publications. August 1989. pp. 26–28.
- Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1989). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1989-90. London, United Kingdom: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-7106-0896-9.